
Scots cop faces sack over sickening racist remark which left colleagues 'in shock'
PC Nichola Irvine, 52, made the offensive remark at Helen Street police station on March 1, 2023.
A police officer faces the sack after a racist jibe left colleagues shocked.
PC Nichola Irvine, 52, made the remark at Glasgow's Helen Street police office on March 1 2023.
Irvine's comment came amid claims that cleaners were unhappy about doing their job at the station.
The constable said in response: "It's like a prostitute complaining about giving a b***job to a reeking P**i."
One fellow officer was so sickened by the slur she reported it to her bosses.
It led to Irvine appearing in the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
She faces the end of her 15-year police career after she was found guilty of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner, which was said to be racially aggravated.
The court heard that Irvine - who worked in the divisional co-ordination unit - had initially been talking with PCs Steven Love and Craig Blair that day.
PC Laura Wylie later joined in with the conversation about the cleanliness of the building.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Irvine said in her evidence: "Miss Wylie started to laugh because Craig and Steven were moaning about the cleaners complaining about the state of the men's toilets."
PC Love told the court that Irvine then made the racial and sexual remark.
PC Wylie backed up PC Love but stated that the word used was "humming" instead of "reeking."
PC Love responded to the remark by covering his face with his hands while PC Wylie was in "utter shock" and told Irvine off about using racial stereotypes.
The matter was reported to senior members of staff several days later by PC Wylie.
It led to Irvine being suspended in March 2023. This remains the case and she is subject to an ongoing disciplinary process.
Irvine denied in court making the racial comment stating to her lawyer Iain Cahill, that she instead said: "Wouldn't it be good if we just got on with our jobs?"
She added that her two colleagues were "100% mistaken" with their claims.
When convicting Irvine, Sheriff Diana McConnell said: "I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt you made the comment that was abusive, vulgar and disparaging. You used a racial slur.
"In the whole context, it is likely that this would cause a reasonable person to suffer alarm.
"You were reckless to whether your conduct would cause alarm."
Sheriff McConnell fined Irvine a total of £520.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
37 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Woman horrified as 'date' sped away from police and crashed causing multi-car pile-up
Courtney Redfern was on a date with Mazyar Azarbonyad when he sped away from police at 120 mph and caused multi-car pile-up on a busy motorway. A 'first date ' caught up in a horrifying A1 crash that left seven officers in hospital has said she "wished it never happened", sources close to the case have said. Courtney Redfern, 26, from Gateshead, was on a first date with Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20 when he sped away from police after being stopped shortly before the crash. She was begging him to stop as Azarbonyad sped away from police at up to 120mph, with five police cars in pursuit. He continued to race along the motorway before slamming on the brakes 'in a matter of metres' before a police vehicle went into the back of the BMW 5 Series, Newcastle Crown court heard. It was revealed Azarbonyad had never passed his driving test and only had three lessons before he purchased the powerful 4x4 on finance. It is understood Courtney didn't know about his driving record and the pair never met again after that night, reports the Mirror. A source, who requested to remain anonymous said: "She wishes it had never happened. "She was caught up in this through no fault of her own." Courtney met Azarbonyad the day before the date and he 'panicked' when she told him that she had drugs on her. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Azarbonyad was sentenced to 14 months in a youth detention centre. Judge Tim Gittins told him previously: "It is nothing short of a miracle that no one was seriously injured and there were not multiple fatalities. Your dangerous driving was prolonged, persistent and deliberate. It is difficult to imagine a worse case of dangerous driving without serious injury or death being caused.' The smash caused 'regional traffic chaos' which would have cost 'tens if not hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage'. It is thought that the damage the vehicles alone was at least £250,000. Judge Gittins added: "You should not have been anywhere near the driving seat of any vehicle let alone a BMW X5, a large and powerful SUV. 'As other police vehicles joined the pursuit your speed continued to rise by a hair raising amount close to 120mph. Your passenger pleaded with you to slow down believing you were going to kill someone. Just as dangerous as your high speeds was your action to break rapidly coming to a sudden stop causing a catastrophic collision. The judge added that the car could not be reclaimed as he had no insurance. He was banned from driving for three years and seven months after he admitted having eight points on his licence for driving uninsured in 2023. Azarbonyad said 'Nah!" to Courtney as he made off from the police, the court heard. Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, told how he had failed to stop twice for police prior to the crash. "At about 1.50am on April 9, PC Wilson saw the BMW X5 of the defendant travelling at speed in Swalwell, Gateshead," he said. "The defendant was required to stop but made off towards Swalwell Bank. He was then spotted again at 2.15am in the area and PC Wilson pulled over to allow traffic units trained in pursuit to take over. "The defendant drove off again at speed and was travelling in excess of 100mph on the A1. He reached speeds of 120mph and then attempted to give way to the police. "Courtney Redfern had met the defendant for the first time that evening and he told her that he drove off due to a defective light. She told him that she had a small amount of drugs." She accepted a police caution for possession of cannabis for personal use. Azarbonyad told police that his driving had been 'sh**', Mr Perks added. He also drove without a licence and no insurance on four occasions after being granted bail at his first appearance before magistrates in April. Penny Hall, mitigating, stated that he had fled Iran when he was just 14 years and had been without any parental guidance since he was taken into care in the UK. He left when he was 18. Azarbonyad had left Iran with his uncle, but the pair lost each other en route and he had been alone ever since. She went on: "He was not seen at all by anyone once he left the care system at 18 in this country, apart from the occasional letter and phone call, it ended there. "He had no direction provided from there and no support, no guidance. He has shown a good work ethic and worked as a personal trainer but lost his job as a result of these offences when police turned up to arrest him. "He is terrified of the prospect of going to prison." He had 'panicked' when his passenger told him that she had some drugs with her and that had resulted in him leaving the scene at speed, she added. Speaking after the case, Supt Billy Mulligan, of Northumbria Police, said: 'It is sheer luck that Mazyar Azarbonyad did not kill anyone with his reckless actions. "What should have been a simple stop turned into him driving incredibly dangerously in a bid to get away from officers. He showed absolutely zero regard for the safety of anyone else. 'I would like to recognise the bravery of the officers involved. While three officers returned to duty, four remain off work. They were simply doing their job, protecting the public from the actions of someone who was not qualified or insured to drive." The judge stressed Ms Redfern had no idea of Azarbonyad's driving record. It is understood that they did not see each other again. When asked by the Mirror, Azarbonyad smiled when asked about if he saw her again.


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
New Madeleine McCann documentary uncovers chilling evidence linked to suspect Christian Brueckner
A chilling new documentary has unearthed disturbing evidence linked to Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner — including children's items, a damning hard drive, and a story describing a girl 'not older than five.' A new documentary has revealed disturbing new evidence connected to Christian Brueckner — the chief suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. 'Madeleine McCann: Inside the Secret Evidence' presents a series of allegations and circumstantial findings said to point toward Brueckner's possible involvement in the 2007 disappearance of the toddler in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Among the discoveries were children's swimming costumes and toddler toys reportedly found at the 48-year-old's property. The documentary also highlights the presence of guns, a mask, and unsettling fictional stories where Brueckner allegedly describes using chemical ether to abduct a mother and her child. One document reportedly places Brueckner at the location of a previous search for Madeleine, during which he allegedly remarked that 'she did not scream' while discussing the missing child with an associate. In one disturbing passage, Brueckner is said to have written: "A very small girl enters the room. She's definitely not older than five. "Blonde, long hair tied in pigtails bounces cheekily back and forth as she comes towards me. I feel like I'm in paradise right now." The film also uncovers an 80GB hard drive said to contain incriminating material, including a laptop key. The existence of this hard drive is believed to have been a turning point in prompting police to relaunch parts of the investigation, reports the Mirror. Location data from the drive allegedly places Brueckner near the Arade Dam in Portugal — a site previously searched by authorities. Brueckner, a convicted paedophile, has long denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance. However, the new documentary adds further weight to concerns about his past. One former neighbour, who lived in the same Portuguese town where Madeleine vanished, described Brueckner as volatile and aggressive. Speaking to The Independent, the neighbour said: "If I was riding past and he'd be standing outside, we'd say hello, you know, how are you." She added: "Nothing more. Then we found out he was a really nasty piece of work." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. German police named Brueckner as a prime suspect in the case in 2020, but no charges have been filed in connection to Madeleine's disappearance. German and Portuguese police and firefighters carried out a three-day search of an area near Praia da Luz last week in the latest efforts to find out what happened to the missing child. Brueckner is due to be freed from a German jail in September after completing his sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Hazel Behan, 41, from Ireland, who alleges she was raped at knifepoint by Brueckner said last week she fears he will seek her out following his release from prison. Brueckner was acquitted by a German court in relation to the charge of violent rape of Ms Behan at her apartment in Praia da Rocha in Portugal's Algarve. She said: 'His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years. 'Fear that I'll see him. Fear that he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. 'I've called him out in a public forum and I have genuine concern he could confront me. 'I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. 'If he is released, I will worry for every woman and child who, like me, believes the justice system is protecting them. 'A leopard doesn't change his spots.'


Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Greg Monks' family say they believe he 'got lost' in Portugal
Greg Monks was reported missing after leaving the main strip in Albufeira in the Algarve region during the early hours of May 28. The 38-year-old had arrived in the resort town the day before for a stag do. The last official sighting of Greg was at around 3.27am on May 28 as he walked past a property in Cerro de Aguia. According to Google Maps, this area is around an hour and 20 minutes walk from the main strip. Police launched a major search to trace Greg, but on June 4, officers confirmed the body of a man, a 38-year-old British citizen, had been discovered on vacant land in Cerro de Aguia. Greg's mum, girlfriend, and cousin – who had flown out to join the search - will return to Scotland today (June 9) without him, with the repatriation process 'set to take days', the Daily Record reports. Jillian Monks, Greg's sister, stated that the family 'will never truly know the full story' but that they believe he 'got lost'. READ NEXT: £25k raised to bring Greg Monks home from Portugal She said: 'We don't believe that anything untoward happened. Everything the police have told us adds up. 'We'll never truly know the full story. But we believe he just got lost and ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. 'It brings us some comfort knowing that Greg had all his belongings on him. He wasn't robbed, he still had his phone and his wallet. 'He had all his cards and cash.' We previously reported that a GoFundMe page was initially launched to support the search but had instead been updated to help the family bring Greg home and to plan his funeral. It has so far raised £34,000. Ms Monks highlighted that the family now 'has some sense of closure' as they plan to bring her beloved brother home this weekend. READ NEXT: Family pay tribute to Cole Cooper as body found in search She added: 'The generosity and support have been incredible. We're hoping to bring Greg home by the weekend. His mum, girlfriend, and cousin are going to fly home tonight. 'They wanted to fly back with him, but it has just not been possible. It has been the toughest time of our lives. 'We still can't believe this has happened, but we're glad we now have some sense of closure. I don't know if any of us could have coped with even another day searching for my brother. 'I think it just shows in places like Albufeira, everyone needs to stick together and look after each other. 'His pals are absolutely devastated at what happened. Before everyone left the hotel that night, Greg made sure they all had a business card and a map from the hotel to help them find their way home. 'That's the kind of person he was.' Ms Monks further shared her family's anger over how they discovered Greg had died. She commented: 'I knew Greg had been found before my mum and dad were told officially by police in Portugal. 'They were waiting in a police station to meet with officers when their phones went off with notifications to say Greg had been found. 'It is shocking that this was allowed to happen.'